THREE MONTHS LATER

July 14, 2026.

This day was 3 months after the surgical team at Memorial Hermann resected the majority of the tumor that was later confirmed to be a glioblastoma.

This day was 12 days after he finished 6 weeks of chemoradiation with MD Anderson and right about the time we were told to expect him to start feeling more like himself, as the effects of radiation continue to accumulate for about 2 weeks following treatment.

This day was 2 weeks before Justin was scheduled for an MRI after a "rest month" following the 6 weeks of treatment.

This day was anything but restful.

Justin began having a seizure soon after waking up that morning. Thankfully, he was still lying in bed, so he didn't have a fall on top of the 10+ minute seizure. It was intense enough, including lapses in breathing and beginning to turn blue, that we called an ambulance. Justin was coming out of the seizure by the time they arrived, and after a very patient attempt to check his vitals and keep him lying down, it took 4 firefighters to get him onto the gurney so he could be transported. He remembers the first part of the seizure when it was just on the left side and remembers waking up in the ambulance, but he has no memory of the "battle over the blood pressure cuff," which actually brought a little levity for Maegan and me after experiencing the seizure.

Tests, including a CT, were run at the ER, his meds were adjusted, and he came home later that day. We are not interpreting anything from the CT at the direction of his oncologist since he is still in a time window when radiation is causing changes in his brain. At the same time, there is a call to prayer that no new mass has formed in the original resection area. We are attempting to patiently wait for the 28th to give us accurate information to base our next steps on.

Later that same night, Justin had another (much smaller) seizure, which resulted in increased weakness on his left side. We have added some "gear" to the house to help should this happen again while still believing this day was an isolated event. There is peace in knowing that if rescue meds, a gait belt, walker, or railings are ever needed, they are readily available. At the same time, there is also peace in hoping they simply gather dust and become an annoyance to store in the house.

The following couple of days were HARD. There was increasing weakness and loss of physical control for Justin that even briefly migrated to his right side, along with vision impairment. Justin was having a hard time holding things with his left hand and was very unsteady on his feet. Understandably, this set the stage for concern that something very serious was happening, so we had to dig really deep for a few days to continue trusting the ONE who holds it all in His hands. He was always right there. One spoonful of hope and peace each minute, exactly when we needed it.

Dr. Weathers gave us the option of coming into the MD Anderson ER after hearing about his increasing symptoms on Friday afternoon or increasing his steroid dosage again. We opted to try the increase in medication before going to the ER, and by Sunday morning he was doing quite a bit better. He still isn't back to the strength and stability of the guy who was walking 2-7 miles a day...and honestly, he shouldn't be doing that level of physical exertion away from the house alone quite yet. He is WAY better though.

There is a shift in how we are living again. We now have a "seizure protocol" in place for the family. We make sure Justin isn't alone in case he needs help. He has a swanky new Apple Watch programmed for seizure alerts, fall detection, and other medical alerts and reminders. To compensate for the memory issues, we are getting ahead on planning meds and supplements so there are no forgotten or doubled-up doses. Plans have shifted to meet the current priorities and abilities.

AND GOD IS GOOD.

We make plans. He orders our steps.

Sometimes those steps include details in the plan that we didn't plan for...and that's not bad. It's His provision, protection, and presence that direct and fulfill the plans. We are learning new levels of holding our plans with open hands and letting Him make it all good.

This is especially real to me today, as my plans were to be in Fort Worth spending time with Peyton while Ashlyn and Hunter had a date night and visiting Parker, who is fighting with all she has in the NICU to get strong, be healthy, and get to come home with her family. Those plans were good and were made before these unexpectedly and impossibly hard days here. We had no idea what was coming. There was no way we could have planned accordingly. Thankfully, God isn't limited by time, knowledge, or ability like we are...how easy that is to forget.

God knew our plans were the best possible plans for what we knew, and I believe He loves that. He knew what we didn't know and got to work on the details and steps that would be needed to pivot at just the right time. He doesn't want us to stop planning. He just wants us to hold them with open hands and let Him direct our steps...to trust Him.

So we are learning deeper and deeper layers of trust. He wants us to get in real close to Him and take each step with Him. We have peace because we have Him.

One day at a time here. Some days are easier than others, but that doesn't change the truth. God is good. His Word is true. He will never leave us...and He still does miracles.

Take a look around.

They are everywhere.

In some lighter news, Justin got a nice new haircut and we had lots of fun watching the World Cup together!

**Please keep checking in with us. We aren't too busy for you and it's super encouraging to get messages/calls/notes/visits as well as still keep up with and stay invested in your lives too!